10 Best Fragrances Under $20

Looking for cheap perfumes that actually smell good? We smell-tested hundreds and found 10 great ones

Have you ever sat in a movie theater and gagged your way through the entire screening? I have — and not because the movie sucked. Rather, because the woman sitting next to me was wearing perfume that smelled like a rotting rose garden.

That night, I went home and tossed out all of my old perfume. Then, I vowed that I would make the world a better-smelling place … at least, when it came to my fragrance of choice. So if you’re one of those people who are always on the hunt for an affordable perfume that doesn’t make people gag, I have one piece of advice for you. OK, fine, two pieces of advice:

First, don’t settle for a perfume from the dollar store. I love the dollar store, but perfume really isn’t their forte. Second, you don’t need to hit up the testers at the department store everyday just to smell good — though I do give you points for ingenuity. Instead, just use this list of cheap perfumes that actually smell like they cost a fortune.

How did I find this gem of a list, you ask? Well, I scoured the shelves, sniffing, and spritzing, every bottle I came across. And since I strongly believe that what’s inside the bottle matters most (getting deep here, watch out), I skipped the entire shelf of pricey perfumes and went straight to the bargain bin.

Believe me, it wasn’t easy, but I found 10 amazing fragrances under $20. Each of the scents on this list are smell-tested and editor-approved. And they’re cheap enough that you could potentially buy the entire list, so no excuses for ever settling for a bad-smelling perfume.